부산대학교 도서관

The most common cause of acute idiopathic peripheral facial nerve paralysis (Bell's palsy) remains unknown. Recent studies have shown that herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is one of the most common causes of Bell's palsy. We describe two cases of Bell's palsy that responded to treatment with the antiviral agent acyclovir. Although infectious HSV and HSV-DNA could not be detected in saliva samples obtained from either patient, serological studies indicated that the paralysis was attributed to reactivation of HSV-1. The patients were given acyclovir and prednisolone for 2 weeks. Neural symptoms resolved gradually, and facial nerve paralysis disappeared after 3 weeks.These two cases suggest that early treatment with acyclovir and prednisolone is effective in patients with Bell's palsy.